


the adequate adventures of the astro ambassadors

by romantasha



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Daisy died in space, Existential Crisis, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Post-Finale, adventures of three people who should be dead but aren't, now she's in space, there's some emotional stuff to work through there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25902064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romantasha/pseuds/romantasha
Summary: A year after Daisy dies, she's in space again.It's odd to stare out into the void, considering the last time she saw it up close like this, it was as she took her final breaths.The chill in her bones never really went away.-In which the trio of people-that-should-be-dead-but-aren't deal with their existential crises on Earth and in space. Post-Finale/Post-Canon.
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Daisy Johnson & Kora, Jemma Simmons & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons (minor), Skye | Daisy Johnson & Daniel Sousa, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 135
Kudos: 419





	1. the chill in her bones.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there!
> 
> Welcome to my new fic! I'm posting it as a one-shot for now, because while it's supposed to be a multi-chapter, I'm still working out the kinks of that. This functions well as a one-shot, so I'll list it as such just in case the rest falls through. We'll see. Let's call this a test.
> 
> I've been doing a lot of thinking about what the team is doing in space. I've also been rewatching the show's ending on a loop trying to pick up any little details. From what I gather, they left for space relatively recently, which means they spent nearly a year on modern-day Earth.

**_365 days after death..._ **

  
  


A year after Daisy dies, she's in space again.

She's there with her family. With Daniel Sousa and Kora. It's kind of odd to think that the three of them should actually be dead, and the only reason they're alive is because of each other — Daisy saved Daniel, then they saved Kora, and then Kora saved her.

They would all be dead if it weren't for each other.

It's odd to stare out into the void, considering the last time she saw it up close like this, it was as she took her final breaths.

The chill in her bones never really went away.

  
  
  
  
  


**_1 day after death..._ **

  
  


By the time they get back to Earth, Daisy can still barely move.

Dying does that, she supposes.

Coulson has to carry her out of the Quinjet, with May and Kora at his heels. Mack stays behind to meet up with the rest of the team and get an idea of what happened. And to hopefully prevent everyone from freaking out upon seeing her limp body.

She's not unconscious, though not for a lack of trying. The exhaustion weighs heavily on her, and the team begged her to get some rest, hoping that it would help her heal a little more.

But, nothing has worked. Daisy can't fall asleep. Every time she feels herself fading, the panic rises in her chest and she gasps deeply. She isn't sure if it's the tormented thoughts that tell her she won't wake up again — the sensation of falling asleep reminds her too much of the second she felt herself fade into nothingness in the void of space — or if the deep chill settled within her just won't let her have a second of peace.

Coulson sets her down on the bed gently. Kora is quick to sit beside her and hold her hand. "I'm sorry," she says desperately, "I didn't — "

"It's okay," Daisy manages to get out.

Kora nearly sobs at that. "No, it isn't. Mom died because of me. _You_ died. All because I went with Nathaniel..."

"It's okay," Daisy repeats softly. "You're here now."

With all the strength she can muster, she squeezes Kora's hand reassuringly. From the doorway of the room, she can see May's emotions — her own emotions, really — swirling through her eyes.

_Loss. Pain. Hope._

Then, suddenly May shifts. She sighs uncomfortably, cricking her neck. The emotions are different now.

_Desperation._

And then they hear the yelling.

"Where is she?!" Daniel calls out. "I need — "

He appears in the doorway between Coulson and May, suddenly freezing. He stares at her, his mouth open. "Daisy..." he whispers.

Mack appears in the doorway behind him in a steady jog. He sighs heavily. "I tried to tell him — "

"Come on," May says, "let's give them a minute." She gives Daniel an empathetic rub on the shoulder and nods at Kora with a smile. "Come talk to us when you're done." She leads Coulson out and with Mack, they all walk down the hallway.

Daniel is still frozen at the door. "Mack said you died."

"I did," Daisy responds roughly, "but my sister saved me." She gives her hand another squeeze — this time in appreciation.

Kora lets a tear fall, but smiles sadly. "I — uh — should go see what Agent May wants," she says heavily, emotion thick in her voice. "I'll visit later, okay?"

"Okay," Daisy replies softly.

Kora presses a gentle kiss to her brow, pushing her hair aside tenderly. Daisy's never had a sister, nor a loving mother, but she thinks this is how it's supposed to feel.

_Love._

Kora hesitates before leaving the room, giving Daniel a hesitant smile on the way out.

It's silent for a moment, with Daisy taking pained, shallow breaths and Daniel staring at her, as if he's memorizing every bit about her. There's an anguished look on his face.

Almost as if he's seen someone he thought he'd lost.

Then, he approaches, kneeling down beside the bed. "You almost _died_ ," he repeats a little desperately.

"You don't need to remind me," she retorts, "I was there."

He clings onto her a little desperately at that and she groans. "Sorry," he says quickly. He adjusts his position so that he's still got his knee on the ground, but he has his arms comfortably holding onto her. "Is this alright?" he asks softly.

She smiles and makes a tiny little nod. "It's okay," she tells him. "Been through worse."

He chuckles softly at that. "Worse than dying?"

"Well," Daisy starts, now thinking about it, "not that. Pain. Being shot in the gut hurt worse." She pauses, thinking more. "I was supposed to die then, too."

Daniel gives her the most incredulous look at that.

"I'm fine," she tells him clearly. "I'm alive."

"I'm really glad you are."

His hand pushes the hair out of her face tenderly. He presses a kiss to her brow — on the opposite side of Kora's kiss. Daisy tries to tilt her head, but it hurts and she ends up whimpering. "Hey, hey," he whispers against her skin. "Don't try and move." He pulls his face away gently, his hands still on her face, caressing her cheek. "Do you need anything?" he asks softly, in a way that convinces her that he would give her the world if she asks for it.

"Stay," she whispers.

He would never dream of leaving. He nods. "Of course."

Daisy stares at him for a long moment expectantly. He doesn't move. "Here," she clarifies. She tries her hardest to shift a little before Daniel immediately understands.

"Hey, don't strain yourself," he tells her. He carefully adjusts her so that he can lay down on the bed, letting her head rest on his chest, his arms around her. "Better?"

The chill that's been haunting her — the last thing she felt before dying — dims immensely with his arms around her.

She hums in affirmation. "Hurts less," she mumbles and Daniel can't help but smile a little bit at that.

"Just rest," he says softly. "I'll be here."

With Daniel's arms around her, she doesn't feel fear as she feels herself fading quickly, the heavy feeling in her chest sinking into blackness.

Daisy lets herself fall into the deep slumber that her body has been aching for.

-

Daniel keeps true to his word and he's still there when she wakes up. She's still immensely sore, but has a bit more energy and flexibility to move around a little. She groans as she tries to move, which makes Daniel wake up immediately.

He's already looking over her, checking to make sure she's okay. "'m fine," she tries to repeat weakly. "How long?"

"I'm not sure," he says. "I was awake for around four hours, so longer than that." She blinks at him. He blushes a little. "I was trying not to fall asleep."

"Why?" she asks, voice hoarse.

"I wanted to make sure I'd be awake if you needed anything," he admits. His eyes widen a little bit as he notices her stretching her hand out a little. "Do you need anything now?"

"Water."

She's trying to reach over him for the bottle on the nightstand. He quickly grabs it for her and helps her drink it. She ends up clutching the bottle herself, pulling it away from his grasp. He lets it go sheepishly.

After she's done drinking, he puts the bottle back on the nightstand.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Just peachy," she says. Daniel gives her a weird look at that. "What?" she asks him.

"Nothing," he replies, shaking his head. He smiles a little. "Just something Mack said earlier."

There's a knock at the doorway before she can ask any questions about that and both of them look over to see May and Kora. Daniel looks absolutely abashed to have been caught in bed with Daisy, but no one pays him much mind.

"How are you?" May asks.

Daisy tries to muster a smile. "I'm fine," she says for what feels like the hundredth time that day. She sits up a little against the wall and pushes Daniel to a more respectable distance, which hurts like hell, but she hides the pain from her expression. "Sleep helped."

May frowns. "You realize I can feel your pain, now?" she says a little accusingly.

Daisy frowns, feeling scolded. "You neglected to mention," she mumbles.

"You're in a lot of pain, but Kora may be able to help," May says. Daisy glances at Kora, who gives her a reassuring smile. "Let's give them some time, Agent Sousa."

Daniel immediately looks at Daisy to make sure that's what she wants; she gives him a subtle nod. He delicately removes himself from the bed, careful not to move her too much. He and May leave.

Kora approaches the bed slowly. "I know you don't trust me, but Agent May — "

"I do," Daisy interrupts. "I do trust you."

Kora looks genuinely surprised at that. She sits beside Daisy. "Agent May has been vetting me for the past few hours," she continues. "I've never had many chances to explore my power before, but she helped me through it. I think I can try healing you some more, if you'd like."

Daisy nods and shifts to be closer to Kora. Kora immediately places her hands on her face and lets the energy her power provides shift through her.

After a minute, the light dims, and Daisy gasps. The cold disperses for a little bit. "That is so much better," she says. "Still feel like I was hit by a truck, but a slightly smaller one. A pickup instead of a semi."

Kora cracks a smile at that. "Is there anywhere that hurts especially?"

Daisy wiggles around a little, as best she can. "My chest," she says. "Upper. It's where he — " She stops talking, not sure about how to refer to her big — little? Kora is technically younger than her right now, if time travel is accounted for — sister's boyfriend's death at her hand.

Kora doesn't push. She places her hands at Daisy's collarbones and focuses her energy again. It works for a bit, but it flickers and fades. She frowns in disappointment.

"You've worked your powers a lot today," Daisy tells her. "You should probably relax them for a bit. Thank you, though."

It's silent for a moment as they sit there together.

"I don't know how you can trust me after everything I did," Kora eventually blurts out.

Daisy looks at her carefully. She hesitates on her explanation, but finally says, "I used to be an anarchist." Kora looks at her in surprise. "Yeah, before S.H.I.E.L.D., I was living out of a van, hacking into government organizations like them."

"Why?" she asks.

"I was looking for my parents," Daisy puts simply. "All my records were redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and I thought they were the enemy."

"Nathaniel told me that you grew up alone," Kora says, "and that you led to her death."

"I did," she admits. "The pain of losing two daughters was just too much for her and she snapped. She wasn't a good person anymore. Getting to see her before that happened... It meant a lot."

Kora starts to cry then. "I'm so sorry," she sobs, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Daisy softly tugs on Kora, pulling her closer, embracing her in a way that's most comfortable. "Shh," she whispers. "It's okay."

  
  
  
  
  


**_4 days after death..._ **

  
  


Daisy is confined to bed-rest for a week.

It's a loose sentence, in the end, because Simmons is still dealing with her brain being muddled and it's not like she could properly assess the aftermath of being brought back to life with the Inhuman power of energy.

"I wish I could've visited earlier, but — "

Daisy musters a smile. "It's fine, I understand." Then, she adds, "I can't believe you're a _mom_ now."

"That's _mum_ for you," Simmons chides. "The memories are still a bit fuzzy, but they're better when I'm with her."

Daisy knows a thing or two about that. The cold that lives inside of her never really goes away, except when Kora is healing her or, more interestingly, when Daniel wraps his arms around her.

He's with her nearly constantly, except for the times people chase him out to have their own time with her. Daisy gets him to hold her close every night as she sleeps — it's the only way she can. She hasn't told him about the chill in her bones, yet. She doesn't know how to.

And they still haven't discussed their relationship. Or the kiss. Or anything, really. Most of their time together is spent with him reading to her, since she can't really do much else to pass the time, and he needs to catch up on seventy years of pop culture as it is. It's relaxing, having his arms around her, listening to his deep voice drone on.

Daisy's brought out of her thoughts by a rather painful prod by Simmons.

"Do I get to meet her?" Daisy asks. "Your daughter?"

Simmons smiles. "As soon as you're off bed-rest, I'll introduce you. She's rather antsy to meet her Auntie Daisy."

Daisy smiles widely at that, but only a brief moment later, it turns to a grimace as Simmons prods her again.

"Well," Simmons starts, "I don't know if there's anything else I can assess."

Daisy mock-gasps. "Dr. Jemma Simmons willingly stops her tests on me? I never thought I'd see the day."

Simmons frowns. "I just...don't really know what else to do. This goes beyond science — the science I can understand, anyway." There's a moment of silence before she asks, "Are you sure you _died_?"

Daisy opens her mouth, but pauses. She doesn't know how to respond to that. She isn't sure what happened.

"Mack and Coulson insist that they got to you quick enough," she continues, "but May and Kora... They truly believe that you died.

That they _felt_ it."

"I felt it too," Daisy whispers. She's said that she died in a joking sense many times before, because there's no doubt that she would've if Kora hadn't intervened. But she hadn't actually truly considered if she was already dead by the time she was pulled into the Zephyr.

There was no light at the end of the tunnel. No life that flashed before her eyes.

Just a deep chill as she faded into the void of nothingness. A vast blackness, not unlike the depths of space.

"I felt myself fading," she admits. "If I died, I felt it the second it happened. But..."

"But?" Simmons prompts, curious.

"I felt myself freezing in space," Daisy confesses. "It's impossible, I know. Even if I wasn't dead, I should've been beyond unconsciousness. I should have felt it. But I did."

Simmons frowns. "I suppose there are a few odd instances where people claim to remember seeing a light and hearing the voices of people they loved before they're revived. Most chalk it up to be an imaginative thing — a way for people to cope with their momentary death."

"I don't think this was imaginary, Simmons," Daisy whispers. "I still... The cold never really went away. I feel like I'm still frozen. And nothing helps, except Kora." She doesn't tell Simmons about Daniel, because she thinks that one might be more of a placebo effect or something.

Simmons hesitates. "I'm not sure on the nature of Kora's powers," she starts, "but is there a chance that this feeling is actually withdrawal from that? From what I gather, it's a large intake of energy you're getting from that. Perhaps you're in the state you've always been, but after feeling that level of heat and energy, everything in comparison feels cold to you."

Daisy shakes her head. "But...this feeling is deep in my bones. It's not just — "

"I understand what you mean," Simmons interrupts. "It's like the feeling you get from your powers. The constant humming."

Daisy hadn't thought of it like that before. It's true — whatever this feeling is, it resides next to the constant buzzing of her powers. She remembers the odd feeling of her bones when the Kree cut off her quakes.

She wonders if Kora would feel this sort of chill if she ever lost her powers.

It wasn't a bad theory.

Daisy stays silent, unsure of what to say.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Simmons asks politely.

Daisy shakes her head. "Thank you for coming in."

Simmons smiles and rubs her shoulder affectionately. "Of course. I'll come to see to you before you're officially relieved of your bed-rest. And...please know that bed-rest means _resting_ — no strenuous activity, even if it typically takes place in a bed."

She gives Daisy a rather pointed look at that, which makes her sputter out, "I know what bed-rest means!"

"Just making sure it's clear," Simmons says cheerfully. "On that note, I'll be off. Should I grab Agent Sousa on my way out? I'm sure he's lurking around somewhere nearby."

"No," Daisy mumbles. "Let him take his time."

Simmons pats her leg before standing up and leaving, making sure to send one final wink Daisy's way before exiting the room.

And for the first time since the moment she died, she's all alone.

The chill in her bones is heavier than ever.

  
  
  
  
  


**_365 days after death..._ **

  
  


Daisy was never really afraid of space, after she died.

Many expected her to be. The moments before death haunted her, left her with questions she would never truly be able to answer. Instead, she set out into space to answer different questions. Find new answers.

The chill in her bones never truly went away, no. But she has learned how to accept it, get used to it. It sits numbly in the deepest pits of her soul, between the constant humming of her powers. It'll never go away, she knows, but she's okay with that.

  
It serves as a reminder that she's _alive._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this fic were to continue, it would serve as a series of one-shots, in a way. It would serve to develop the relationship between Daisy's new boyfriend and sister. There's a lot to explore, I just hope I manage to get a functional plot idea working out!


	2. the universe is left in chaos.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But it's not just Earth that's suffering. It's the whole universe. Intergalactic transmissions are constant and desperate. They plea for aid from someone — anyone — who might be able to rescue the crumbling universe. But everyone is too busy trying to fix their own wounds on their own planets to even think about saving others.
> 
> So, the universe is left in chaos.
> 
> Daisy plans to do something about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huzzah! I think I have a bit of an outline for this fic that actually works. I'm slightly concerned that the flashes back and forth may be a little confusing, but I think it's good fun. This fic is not nearly as meticulously planned as all my other fics, so enjoy a bit of freefall with me.

**_8 days after death..._ **

  
  


After a week, Daisy's bedrest is finally over.

She's still a little sore, but she's improved immensely in her time resting. Kora has been doing daily sessions with her, and Daniel always stays close by her side. The rest of the team is scarce, visiting her when they can.

Daisy gets the feeling that they're working on something — and they're keeping it from her.

It's not just Alya, because Daisy knows about her. Plus, the existence of a FitzSimmons kid shouldn't have the team looking so solemn.

Whatever it is, Daniel and Kora don't seem to know what's going on either. But they're not too worried about it.

("Agent May was getting grumpier and grumpier by the day," Kora told her. "And then she just left. Guess she isn't so worried about me anymore.")

("It's mainly just the scientists and their kid around," Daniel filled in. "Agent Fitz keeps leaving. Simmons told me it's because they're setting up their house.")

Daisy tries not to worry too much about it. She knew that the team was bound to split up, and honestly, she feels an immense relief at the outcome. When Enoch told her her future, she'd imagined something terrible would happen. He may have said that they would survive, but the team has been forced apart so many times.

Instead, it's a more willing separation. Perhaps not on her part, but willing nonetheless.

The fact that everyone is moving onto bigger and better things makes her feel infinitely better. Her soul still aches at the family that's leaving her, but she knows it's for the best.

Simmons comes to clear her from bed-rest, and in tow, she brings Alya. The kid is quick to jump on Daisy excitedly, which makes Daniel panic a bit.

"Hey, there, kiddo," he quickly scoops her up, "Daisy still isn't feeling too well."

Daisy knows that Daniel has looked after the kid a few times over the week while Kora was overseeing Daisy, and it seems like they've gotten to know each other pretty well. He raises his eyebrows at the kid and Daisy can't help but smile at the scene.

"Oopsies," Alya says, but her wide grin makes it obvious that she isn't very sorry at all.

"Sorry!" Simmons apologizes quickly to Daisy. "She's just very excited."

Daniel sets the kid down on the bed, near Daisy, but not on top of her. Alya is a little more careful, this time, crawling over to her, touching her face softly with her tiny little fingertips.

Daisy nearly cries upon seeing this tiny little child, who is the perfect mix of her two best friends. She's so sweet and innocent and adorable.

"Hi, Alya," she whispers. "It's nice to finally meet you."

-

Daisy's all clear to get up and move around. Daniel still stays by her side, ready to catch her if she falls.

"I'm fine," she insists for about the millionth time. "My legs are fully functional," she tells him before thinking about it and her stomach suddenly _sinks._ She looks at Daniel in horror. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't — "

But he just chuckles in amusement. Daisy can't help but still feel mortally embarrassed at her slip-up.

The past week has been fully platonic between them. They haven't discussed their kiss — either of them, Daisy muses — nor have they discussed their potential future. He's been focused on her health and well-being, and she's been focused on thinking about her future with Kora.

Yet, there's something that's just so _domestic_ about how comfortable they are with each other. He sleeps in her bed every night, somehow in the most platonic and gentlemanly way possible. He kisses her forehead just about every chance he has, holds her hands constantly. He helps her eat and drink (she finds out that he's a pretty good cook, and he's been cooking for Kora and the FitzSimmons family as well). She knows he's there for her no matter what — through the thick and thin.

Daisy makes her way to the common area with Daniel and Simmons, holding Alya's hand all the way. There, they meet Kora, and then later Fitz, who hugs her warmly. Alya immediately jumps into his arms and it's absolutely adorable.

"I can't wait to get some fresh air," Daisy announces.

Fitz frowns. "You can't go out."

"Why not? Do protocols really matter right now?" she asks. "The last time I breathed something other than the stale air of my bunk, I died. I think I deserve a tiny little break up in the world, protocols be damned."

"Protocols aren't the issue," Simmons clarifies. "Something...happened."

Daisy frowns. Upon looking at Kora and Daniel, they seem to be as clueless as she is, looking at Simmons with an interested curiosity.

Fitz clears his throat, settling Alya down. "Hey, monkey, can you go back to your room? I left you a new toy."

"Chemistry?" she asks.

"Of course," he replies earnestly. "Remember the safety bits, like Mumma taught you."

The little girl smiles and nods and runs off excitedly. Kora frowns a little. "Isn't she like, four?"

"She's fine," Simmons waves off. Her expression turns a little grave as she looks at Daisy.

"So, spill. What's going on?" Daisy asks.

"Everything we did was very specific," Fitz explains. "It was the only way to save the team."

"Okay..."

Simmons and Fitz share an odd look. He continues, "Enoch saw a piece of the future — he couldn't see far, but he saw enough to know that no matter what happened at the Temple, half the team would be lost."

"But," Daisy protests, "it was only May. Yo-Yo turned out fine." She pauses. "But you guys were at the Lighthouse..."

"That wasn't what Enoch saw," Simmons tells her. She looks at Fitz to explain the rest.

He closes his eyes. "There was a universal event. Going through the Quantum Realm was the only way to escape it. But the rest of the world..."

"What does that mean?" Daniel prods, a little frustrated.

Simmons tears up. "Half the universe was wiped from existence. Turned to dust."

Daisy collapses.

  
  
  
  
  


**_353 days after death..._ **

  
  


The world was different.

Losing half of the population affected things in ways that no one could've ever predicted. The world was shattered — the spirit of the people that remained was broken. The world had no choice but to move on, but it did so solemnly.

Most of the Avengers have disappeared, which left S.H.I.E.L.D. to pick the pieces back up.

With the help of the friendly Chronicoms, they rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D. into the superpower it was before the fall in a matter of months. May, with the off-site help of FitzSimmons, work to create the Coulson Academy, to find and train new cadets to join their organization. The applications come in quick and in fury — many hoping to find some way to avenge the loss of their loved ones.

It takes a while to admit that they're gone forever. The world wasn't getting them back.

But it's not just Earth that's suffering. It's the whole _universe._ Intergalactic transmissions are constant and desperate. They plea for aid from someone — _anyone_ — who might be able to rescue the crumbling universe. But everyone is too busy trying to fix their own wounds on their own planets to even think about saving others.

So, the universe is left in chaos.

Daisy plans to do something about it.

  
  
  
  
  


**_8 days after death..._ **

  
  


"How?" Daisy whispers, after they all get seated. She grips onto Daniel's hand desperately, trying to process what they've been told. His thumb caresses her palm gently, being the only steadying thing she aims to focus on before she descends into a panic.

Fitz looks down. "I believe it was Thanos, the guy that — "

"The one that Talbot was trying to stop," she gasps out. "But his attack on New York failed."

"No," Simmons steps in. "That was a small attack. It barely even caught the eyes of the Avengers. His actual attack was a year later — well, about a week ago in this timeline. His ship went for New York first, again. From what Mack's gathered from the S.H.I.E.L.D. intel... The rest happened in Wakanda."

"Simmons and I got lucky. You and Mack survived, but you sacrificed yourself only a few days after, destroying all the Chronicoms while at it," Fitz says quietly. "It was the only way. The Chronicoms weren't affected by whatever happened — the rest of the universe was — so their attacks became even more powerful. The Earth had no way to defend themselves.

"Since we had to go through the Quantum Realm into a new timeline, we did some digging on how to change things and found that Kora would be able to save you. It was the only future where you survived," he finishes.

Daisy and Kora look at each other, while Daniel gives a fixed expression toward Daisy. Then, his expression turns to confusion. "Hang on, why didn't we disappear like the others? It's not like we skipped past it."

"We didn't," Fitz agrees. "But the way that time travel works is tricky. Our existence was charged with different particles. We essentially existed in a separate state as everyone else."

No one really knows how to react to that.

"That's some mad science," Daisy eventually settles on, too overwhelmed to say anything else.

"The Avengers — or what was left of them — figured it out first," Simmons amends. "We had the time stone, which solved the time bit, but all the Quantum Realm stuff was Stark."

"Howard?" Daniel asks, his eyes lighting up a bit.

"Tony Stark, his son," Daisy tells him softly. He deflates a little.

Kora turns to Fitz and Simmons. "So, what? The world is in a burning chaos?"

"There are riots everywhere," Simmons tells them. "It'll calm down in a couple of weeks, after the disappeared government figures are properly replaced and people begin to mourn more than panic."

"The team?" Daisy asks.

"May went to look after Robin — Polly's gone," Fitz says regretfully. "Davis's family is gone too, so Piper is on a bit of a break to settle their affairs. The rest are just trying to get some things figured out."

"Who else did we lose?" Daisy inquires, her voice quivering a little. "Gabe? I promised Robbie..."

"Gabe's fine," Simmons pipes up. "But I looked up Cal and..."

She can't bring herself to finish the sentence, and Daisy understands what she means. She grips Daniel's hand even tighter.

"I'm really sorry, Daisy," she says quietly. "I know — "

"Don't," Daisy manages to get out, but it's not unkind. It's just kind of tired. "You should've told me."

"I know," Simmons replies sorrowfully. "We just...didn't know how to."

Daniel has no clue what's going on — who Cal or Gabe are, why Daisy is so upset — but his presence is sympathetic and he's there for her anyway. Daisy wants to sob into his chest because she's so sick of _losing_ — both her parents _again_ in the span of two weeks. But she holds her head high and breathes.

It's silent for a moment, and then Kora asks the question that everyone was wondering but no one wanted to voice: "When are you leaving?"

Simmons hesitates. "Tomorrow morning," she finally says. "We weren't going to leave Daisy alone, but now that she's got a clean bill of health..."

Daisy looks down.

She expected this. But it still hurts, especially amongst every other thing that's going on.

She clings onto Daniel a little tighter.

-

The rest of the night is a bit lighter, with them having dinner with Alya. Daniel's integrated herself into the team fairly well, — he's just about Alya's favourite person, to Fitz's dismay — but Kora, Daisy can tell, still feels like she's on the outside.

When FitzSimmons go to tuck Alya in for the night, Daisy finally detaches herself from Daniel and corners her sister privately.

"Hey," Daisy starts, a little awkwardly. "You doing good?"

"I'm fine," Kora replies. "A lot's happened."

"Yeah," she agrees. "But we made it through."

Kora frowns. "Not all of us did."

And suddenly, Daisy understands. She's dealt with the guilt of causing a loved one to die one too many times to pretend like she doesn't. "What happened to Mom wasn't on you, it was on Malick."

"I should never have followed him," Kora says bitterly.

"No, you shouldn't have," Daisy agrees. Kora sends her a bit of a face at that, but it quickly dissolves into sadness. "But everything that happened would've happened regardless," she adds on, "and maybe you wouldn't have made it here. And then I _definitely_ wouldn't be here."

It's quiet, neither daring to say more on the subject. Then, Kora speaks, "Did you mean what you said? In space?"

"I said a lot of things in space," Daisy responds.

"About how Jiaying only had you because she was mourning me."

It takes a moment for her to think. "Yes," she says confidently. "I never knew about you, but I always got the feeling that there was some tragedy that came before me. Something inside her was already broken when she left Afterlife and met my father."

"Is your father Cal?" Kora asks suddenly. Daisy frowns. "Sorry, it's just... You seemed really upset about him, and I know he isn't your boyfriend, because of Daniel."

"Daniel isn't my boyfriend," Daisy mutters a little bitterly, because truly, they should have talked things out by now. Kora just raises an eyebrow at that. "Yes, Cal was my father."

"I'm sorry you lost him," Kora replies, voice genuinely sad for her.

"It wasn't the first time."

Once again, silence fills the air between them, and Daisy can't help but wonder if she's doing the whole sister thing wrong. She's never really had experience — true experience — being a sister. And she's technically older right now, so she's got to fill in that big sister role.

She suddenly crowds Kora with an awkward embrace. It takes a moment, but they settle into it.

"I don't know how to be a sister," Daisy tells her, "but I wanna try."

Kora sniffles a little. "I don't really know anything about it either."

Pulling back, Daisy gives a bittersweet smile. "Maybe we can learn something about it together."

  
  
  
  
  


**_353 days after death..._ **

  
  


Daisy leans against the side of her van outside of Coulson Academy patiently waiting for her sister. But, instead, to her surprise, May walks up.

"Hey," she says, smiling.

"Hey, yourself," Daisy responds with a grin. "Thought you'd be busy with a lecture."

Kora has spent six months at the Academy and now she's ready to go out into the field. Technically, cadets are supposed to spend a year — _minimum_ — training up, but Daisy managed to pull a few strings to speed up the process. The fact that Kora spent months helping May build the place, and also the powers aspect, have helped immensely. There's only so much the Academy can do for her, and so much more that Daisy can.

In less than two weeks, Daisy is going to be taking her new recruit on her first mission.

May smiles warmly. "I cut the lecture short. I thought it'd be nice to see you."

"You big softie," Daisy teases. "Guess being surrounded by young, wide-eyed wannabe-agents makes you all gooey inside."

"Not just gooey," May says vaguely, shivering a little. "Your sister certainly — "

"I don't want to hear it," she cuts off suddenly. She's heard about her sister's... _escapades_ enough to know how this story will end and she really doesn't want to hear about how May gets tingles every time her sister spots a new pretty boy.

May smirks a little, then feels Daisy's disgust. "She's doing good, though. She's excited to finally be done."

And Kora suddenly pops up with her duffle of belongings, running joyously to Daisy, the grandest smile on her face.

A life of freedom has done her well.

"I just finished my last class ever," Kora rejoices. "Thank _god_. No offense, Professor May."

Daisy makes a face at that name. It will never not be weird to call May _Professor._

"None taken," May replies lightly. "I feel your immense relief either way."

"It was really good seeing you," Daisy tells May. "And thanks for taking care of her."

Kora pouts and mutters, "I can take care of myself," but the two older women ignore her.

May puts a comforting hand on Daisy's shoulder. "Good luck on your next adventure."

-

Daisy hadn't seen Kora in about a month before picking her up from her final day at the Academy. She's been so busy overseeing the creation of Zephyr 3 — making sure it's more homey and perfect than ever — as well as plotting the constellations and star charts. She's been gathering the reports of what galaxies and planets need the most help and she intends to get to them all.

She's had just about daily calls with her sister, but nothing compares to being talked to death in her van as they drive to the Lighthouse.

Daisy never left the base. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would head off somewhere and apartment life wasn't really her thing.

Naturally, Daniel stayed there with her.

At some point, Kora pulls out her phone and begins texting, obviously getting the vibe that Daisy is a little done with getting her ear talked off.

("Boys are just," Kora went off about at some point, "so _weird_."

Daisy just hummed in agreement.

"Girls are better," she finished at some point.

That one made Daisy blink a little.)

"How's Danny?" Kora asks distractedly.

Daisy can't help but smile a little at the thought of him. "He's doing good. I bought him a typewriter and now he's determined to send letters out to everyone before we head out."

While she and Daniel were both taken out of their time, Kora had certainly picked up on modern technology with ease. She's glued to her electronics, whether it be her phone or Netflix. Daniel, on the other hand, still avoids it at all costs because he finds it impersonal and a scourge on society.

She never thought she'd date such a grandpa, but here she was, and loving every moment of it.

"Typewriters are _so_ ancient," Kora remarks.

"It's better than writing letters," Daisy amends and they both begin laughing.

After Kora settles down a little, she asks, "Should I feel bad for responding to all his hand-written letters with phone calls?"

"Nah," Daisy tells her. "He doesn't mind those. Just don't text him."

"I've texted him before," Kora points out.

Daisy bites her lip, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, and I've seen his reaction in person every time."

They begin to laugh again. Then, something hits Kora. Her expression falls serious. "Hey, can we text in space?"

Daisy is always struck by surprise when Kora reminds her of Skye — of the anarchist hacker who could never be pulled away from her electronics and her passion alike.

Maybe this was always meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go!
> 
> Next chapter will have a big Dousy focus. I just think it's essential to set up some of the Kora and Daisy bonding early on.


	3. and they're off.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enoch was right when he said that it was the last mission they'd have together. Deke was obviously the reason they would all be in the same room together, and FitzSimmons retiring meant no more missions with the team. May coming only moments after they left solidified the truth of his prophecy, letting in sink in Daisy's cold gut.
> 
> But teams evolve and grow.
> 
> Daisy is determined to be optimistic. This isn't how the team ends, this is simply a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Sorry about the delay. I've been working on a Daisy Johnson & the Avengers YT video (can be found on my channel SunnyVids).

**_353 days after death..._ **

  
  


"So, is this the part where you go, 'Hi, honey, I'm home?'" Kora asks, smirking. Daisy narrows her eyes. "What? You're like a gooey old married couple."

"We are not!" Daisy protests. She can't deny that they're comfortable in their relationship — in a way she never has been before — but the honeymoon phase never truly ended. It's just that Daniel being such a square means the heat of their relationship is usually kept behind closed doors, in the privacy of only each other.

"You thought you'd get him all modernized, but instead you got all old-fashioned," she teases and Daisy pouts.

"We compromised," she mumbles quietly.

"You got a package," Daniel tells her as soon as she and Kora are at the Lighthouse. He gives Daisy a quick peck. "It's from Fitz."

Daisy tears into it excitedly, ignoring Kora's knowing look. Yes, whatever, she and Daniel are very domestic and old-fashioned. Who cares?

It's a weird little device, and she immediately has an idea of what it is.

_ This is what the Framework was always meant to be. Promise there are no killer robots or evil Doctors in this one. _

_ Fitz _

Daisy smiles.

Just like he promised.

  
  
  
  
  


**_9 days after death..._ **

  
  


The goodbye to the FitzSimmons family is a tearful one, at least for Daisy and Simmons.

They cling to each other, with Alya crushed between them, enjoying the bearhug immensely. They coddle her affectionately.

Daisy has only known of this little person for about a week and met her just yesterday, but she already feels such an intense connection. Her best friends had a  _ baby. _

"We'll have a lovely little reunion, someday," Simmons promises confidently. "Everyone will have to come see Alya on her birthdays!"

Daisy smiles sadly, but hopeful at the same time. "We're all headed into such different lives, I don't see how all of us will be able to visit all at the same time."

"We'll find a way to make time for each other," Fitz vows. "We'll see each other plenty of times more."

And with a few more embraces and tears, the FitzSimmons family is off to their little cottage in Perthshire to live out the happy and  _ normal _ retirement they deserve.

-

May comes back with Robin and Flint in tow. He grumbles something about becoming the team's resident babysitter before he notices the little blonde's absence.

"Where's the kid?" Flint asks.

"They went home," Daisy replies quietly.

May frowns, obviously feeling her sadness. But she forces a smile. "It's for the best."

Enoch was right when he said that it was the last mission they'd have together. Deke was obviously the reason they would all be in the same room together, and FitzSimmons retiring meant no more missions with the team. May coming only moments after they left solidified the truth of his prophecy, letting in sink in Daisy's cold gut.

But teams evolve and grow.

Daisy is determined to be optimistic. This isn't how the team ends, this is simply a new beginning.

-

It takes a few more hours before Daisy manages to sneak some time alone with Daniel. Her stomach is filled with nerves, because she doesn't know how to broach things with him. Things are immensely more complicated than they should be, and it's her fault.

"Hey," she says, lightly touching his arm.

He shifts closer to her, smiling softly. "Hey, yourself. You doing okay?"

She nods warmly, touched by how much he cares for her. "I was hoping we could have that talk," she says boldly, "now that we don't have to worry so much about impending doom or healing."

"We should," he agrees, settling against the counter, leaning back, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm taking leave from S.H.I.E.L.D. to spend some time with my sister," Daisy blurts out suddenly, not being able to hold it in for any longer.

Daniel blinks. "Okay," he replies slowly, unsure. "And — "

"It's just that, we haven't spent much time together and she's family, y'know?"

He smiles patiently. "I know."

"And I don't expect you to wait — "

"Daisy," he interrupts gently, but it's enough to make her stop. He takes ahold of both of her hands, letting the weight of them soothe her. "I'll wait as long as you need."

She scrunches her nose. "You'll...wait?"

"I will," he confirms.

And she can't help herself. She grabs his face with both of her hands and she kisses him. It's tender, but passionate, and he responds immediately, his hands at her hips. And without the threat of a time loop or alien robots or whatever, they can take the time to savour the feeling of each other's lips.

Daniel pulls away after what feels like an eternity of bliss and she misses the warmth of him already. "You're making this harder," he tells her with an adoring smile. He presses another soft kiss to her cheek, and another to the far corner of her brow.

"Well, you're not making this any easier," she retorts, letting her hands slide down his neck and chest. "How can you be so  _ perfect _ ?"

She moves forward to kiss him again, but he keeps her a breath away. "So, not a square?" he whispers with a smirk.

Daisy groans. "You're such a  _ dork _ ."

"Whatever you say,  _ Quake _ ," he teases, and she's about to groan again, but he swoops in and presses his mouth to hers once again and swallows any protest she has.

When she pulls away, there's a big smile on her face. "Not bad as far as third kisses go," she whispers. 

"I think overall, this counts as a second kiss," he says against her skin, "but if you want to count each individual one, this is probably past the third."

"Huh, I haven't told you," she says, realizing suddenly, "but we actually first kissed in the time loops."

Daniel pulls away suddenly, frowning. "Our first kiss wasn't our first kiss?"

Daisy shakes her head, unconcerned. "No, I kissed you in the time loops, and you kissed me back." Upon seeing his look, she raises her eyebrows and asks, "Are you jealous of yourself?"

"No," Daniel mutters unconvincingly.

"They're only getting better," she promises and then she grabs his face with her hands and reels him in, slanting her lips over his again. He groans lightly, but is quick to push her away lightly, regret filling his face.

"How long will you be gone?"

She bites her bottom lip. "A month, maybe."

He grips her hand and smiles lightly. "Okay."

"What if..." Daisy starts, licking her lips absentmindedly. "What if you came with us?" He stares at her, eyes widening slightly. "I mean, it's a break from S.H.I.E.L.D. You deserve that, too. Get to learn a bit about the twenty-first," she rambles.

"I don't want to intrude," Daniel says lightly.

"You wouldn't be," she assures.

"You just found your sister," he tells her calmly. "You should spend time with her."

Daisy tilts her head, holding him close. "I just found you, too," she whispers. He lowers his eyes, unsure of what to reply to that. "Just think about it?"

He agrees to at least think about it, and that night, they continue on their tradition of falling asleep by each other's side.

(In a too-innocent way, for Daisy's taste.)

  
  
  
  
  


**_10 days after death..._ **

  
  


Kora ends up cornering Daniel herself.

They've gotten to know each other fairly well in the past week or so. They've bonded over the worry and love they have for Daisy, as well as being two people out of time. Being isolated in the Lighthouse means they haven't had to tackle many technological advancements, but it was slightly worrying when the four-year-old knew more about a tiny hand-held box that Daisy called a "phone" than they did.

"You better come with us," Kora says suddenly, when they were silently eating in the common area.

Daniel freezes. "What?"

"Daisy likes you and I know she doesn't want to be separated for a month," she clarifies. "Plus, I could use someone who knows less than me to make me feel better about my lack of knowledge."

He blinks. "O...kay."

"Great," she replies, barely smiling. "Now, go tell Daisy you're joining us."

-

They compromise, so Daisy will spend some time alone with her sister while Daniel keeps things running at the Lighthouse along with May. After Piper returns in two weeks, he'll join them.

(Mack, Elena, and Coulson are still incredibly busy in the outside world. They pop in every week or so to say hi, but they're whisked into some new mission after a couple hours.)

Daisy promises that it'll be a trip to remember.

  
  
  
  
  


**_353 days after death..._ **

  
  


"So," Kora asks, curiosity and mischief snaked in her tone, "has Daisy said anything to you about our other team members?"

Daniel shrugs lightly. "I've met a few of the guys; they're hanging around the Lighthouse."

"No, not them," she's quick to amend. "I mean, the top dog one. The one that outranks us. Isn't she co-running things with Daisy?"

He frowns. "Uh," he starts, unsure, "I haven't heard anything about that."

"May mentioned it," she replies lightly. "Strange that Daisy hasn't said anything about our new boss yet."

"She's been talking with Carol, I guess," Daniel says, shrugging, "but nothing about someone else leading the team."

"That's because  _ I'm _ in charge of the team," Daisy interrupts, walking into the room. Daniel and Kora look a little embarrassed to be talking about her behind her back, shifting apart from each other. "Carol does technically outrank us, yes, but she's joining as a consultant. If that's even the right word."

"Who's Carol?" Kora asks.

Daisy shrugs, obviously knowing, but not wanting to get into it. "She's the one I've been in contact with mostly, when gathering the space intelligence. She's got some experience with it."

"So, other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have experience with outer space," Kora comments. "That's cool."

"Well, she's not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She worked with Fury and I think Coulson back in the day. Coulson put us in touch," Daisy explains vaguely. "She won't be around much, though. She'll pop in and out every now and then."

"Okay, I may not know much about space, but like, I'm pretty sure you can't just pop in and out of a mission. In space," Kora points out.

Daisy looks up to the ceiling, biting her lip. "As I said, she's a specialist. I'm sure she'll explain all the details when we meet her."

Daniel levels her with a knowing look. She sighs. "We have things in common, like being a Kree experiment. Hers is a bit on a different level, and she can fly through space."

This catches everyone's attention, even the random agent passing by. "Are you talking about Captain Marvel?" Agent Zachary Barrows asks eagerly. "Is Captain Marvel joining our team?"

"Oh my god!" Kora exclaims excitedly, while Daniel, in his true wonderful nature, just seems confused.

Captain Marvel made a name for herself along with Captain America and Black Widow and Hulk, after they made some public appearances to try to instill hope after several months of desolation. She isn't too present, which Daisy knows is because she's going from planet to planet, but the public seems to be taken with her either way.

"I repeat, she's not really joining our team," Daisy clarifies, a little annoyed by all the excited whispers and intrigued faces. "She's just a consultant. She'll advise our missions every once in a while."

"We get to meet Captain Marvel," Agent Justin Carlson whispers.

"May I remind everyone that her name is Carol Danvers. She is a human being; let's treat her like one," Daisy snaps.

-

Before bed, she shows Daniel some Captain Marvel videos that witnesses filmed as she stopped riots and robberies on their planet. He's heard the names, of course, but he hadn't really gone out to watch the footage of them.

(She thinks he's a bit put out from the idea of superheroes after finding out about Steve Rogers. In like a "I can't believe the world is so insane as to the guy I looked up to during WW2 who died and I later started dating his ex who later broke up with me is actually alive and brought out of the ice in 2011 and is now a modern-day superhero" kind of way.

That was definitely fun to explain to him, that Steve Rogers was still alive.)

"Wow," he says quietly, "This woman makes your powers look like party tricks." Daisy levels him with a stern glare. He clears his throat quickly. "Sorry, sweetheart."

She nestles against his side, expression softening. "I know you have a thing for superheros, but don't you dare," she says a little harshly.

"Never," he promises, kissing her hairline softly. "As long as you never end up with Captain America," he jokes. "I think the women I'm attracted to seem to be attracted to him too."

"He is a fine specimen of a man," Daisy agrees, "but nothing beats the man that's currently in my bed."

Daisy swings a leg over his and straddles him quickly, pushing aside the laptop and kissing him deeply.

Not that Daniel complains. Not one bit.

  
  
  
  
  


**_365 days after death…_ **

  
  


The past two weeks have been exhausting, filled with team bonding, space intelligence, safety precautions, protocols, and just about everything a small team could need to know to prepare for an extended mission in the depths of the unknown.

It's tiring, but rewarding.

Daisy goes to the hangar to check on Z3. It's ready by now, of course, but she wants to see her baby in person. Kora's getting her bunk set up a little last-minute, but she's now calling it her new home. It makes Daisy smile.

She finds Mack sitting on the bridge, waiting for her. She feels like she hasn't seen him in ages, but he and Elena came here just to see her.

She also just got off the Framework visual chat with Fitz and Simmons, who could have simply called, but Fitz made up many excuses about wanting to "test" the system (she knows he has many times already). Daisy wasn't going to deny a good excuse to see her friends in person — sort of — again.

Fitz also managed to set her up with a great communication system, which magically — ("IT'S SCIENCE!" he exclaimed loudly) — allows the Zephyr to have limited data to send emails and texts from outer space. They've also downloaded basically all the archives of the Internet. Daisy's already told Daniel that she found a way to send his letters out from space. She doesn't tell him it's by photocopying and emailing them out.

What he doesn't know doesn't hurt him, she muses.

"You ready to spend a year in space?" Mack asks with raised eyebrows.

Daisy grins. "Well, it isn't the first time I've done it," she points out. "I found that I'm quite good at it."

"Damn straight," he replies. He moves to hug her, and they embrace tightly. "It's nice to see you, even if it's just for a little bit."

"Yeah," she agrees, not wanting to let go just yet. "Yoyo?"

"She's here," Mack says. "She's with Piper and Davis somewhere around the Lighthouse."

After the disappearance of Nick Fury, Mack took over the operations of the Helicarrier. It's definitely a sweet ride and Mack has been loving it quite a bit, even if it isn't quite the retirement plan he had in mind. He's mentioned leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. every other day for years now, but he's still around. Daisy doesn't think he'll ever truly leave.

They have that in common.

The Internet Conspiracists have been spreading around that Nick Fury never died back in 2014 (that much is true) and post pictures of Mack as "proof" (definitely not true). The sane parts of the Internet have pointed out the racist implications of accusing two black men with similar coats of being the same man, pointing out they don't even look alike.

The whole thing makes Mack grumble, while Daisy laughs.

(She doesn't tell him about user  _ skyerocks _ , who goes and trolls the biggest of trolls. "Do you think the eyepatch was a lie all along?" she types late at night, while Daniel sleeps.)

"Are you gonna miss Earth?" Mack asks.

"Eh," Daisy shrugs. "A little. But I know it'll be waiting for me when I get back."

"Let's hope," he mumbles quietly. "Don't jinx it."

She gives him a playful nudge on the shoulder as Daniel walks up. "Kora's all set. We're good to go."

She looks towards Mack wistfully. "Promise to defend the Earth for me?"

"If I don't, the Avengers better," he says firmly.

-

The team takes a few hours to say goodbye to their planet. It's not much, but most of the agents spend time at River's End, breathing the fresh earthy air they probably won't smell for another year.

Daisy hangs out with her family in the Lighthouse, drinking and reminiscing.

When it's finally time to go, they comb through Z3 over and over, double checking they have everything they might possibly need over the next year, and beyond.

You can never be too careful.

One agent seems to be lingering around, seemingly looking for something. "What is it, Agent Barrows? Is something missing?"

"No, Ma'am!" the agent blushes. "I was just wondering where Consultant Danvers was, since she's joining us for this mission."

"She'll catch up with us in space," Daisy says with a sigh. She really should've stayed away from all the young agents. They've already posed problems more than once, she realizes, as she narrows her eyes at her sister, who flirts shamelessly with another one of the agents.

And then it gets to a point where they can't keep making excuses not to leave. They have to head out, say goodbye.

Mack, Elena, and Piper stay in sight as Daisy and Daniel gaze out at them with longing looks. "You sure you want to do this?" Daniel asks. Not unsure himself, just making sure that Daisy is happy.

Mack raises a hand and gives her a nod. She nods back.

"The Earth has everyone they need," Daisy says wistfully as she waves goodbye to those staying behind, the hangar door closing slowly.

And they're off.

A year after Daisy dies, she's back in space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they're in space! The focus will start shifting more to the space side of things now, so yay! I've got some fun plans for the future chapters. Stay tuned!


	4. just a day in the life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kora rolls her eyes as they wait. She's noticed Daisy's impatient tapping and sneaking grin and the fire behind her eyes. "Great," she says, deadpan, "So, we're going from you spending hours a day to write those postcard things to spend that time making out with him instead."
> 
> Daisy's eyes widen and her mouth opens in protest. Her brows furrow together. "Wha — No — I — No!" Kora fixes her with a look involving a raised eyebrow and Daisy recedes a little. "He's more proper than that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a SUPER IMPORTANT note at the end of this. So, enjoy this (somewhat short) chapter and be sure to give the end notes a read when you're done!

**_26 days after death..._ **

  
  


The past couple of weeks have been some of the best for Daisy, but she thinks this day, in particular, might be the most amazing.

She and Kora embarked on their adventures, seeing the world as it is in the twenty-first century. Kora's got a lot to learn, because she's been isolated in Afterlife for so long. She didn't really have much to go off of before.

As it turns out, she's fast at adapting.

Kora loves the Internet and has a particular affinity for Netflix. The days and nights are filled with TV shows and movies.

And Daisy's been writing.

She's been sending postcards from basically every city they stop at. At first, she's hesitant, only giving short messages, but after receiving his first letter, she would fill every inch of available space with words.

(Though, since she did send multiple a day, at this rate, a lot of them were just little blurbs like:

_ Met the biggest trucker dude asshole at this diner. _

_ You know, I think I almost got arrested here like a decade ago. _

_ Doesn't that rock look like a dick? ↑↑↑ _

_ Did I ever tell you about that time I got high in an alien casino? _

_ You need to learn how to use a cellphone so I can text you these meaningless notes. _

_ I miss you. _

To which he would respond with:

_ Dearest Daisy, _

_ You are most certainly capable of handling yourself, so I assume when you say you "met" him, you actually kicked him in the rear and made him regret ever laying eyes on you. _

_ I'm not sure if I should be more concerned about the fact that you were almost arrested, or about the fact that you're not entirely sure. Though, I would love to hear that story someday. _

_ I can't argue that the rock does have a sort of phallus appearance to it. _

_ If I thought the arrest story would be interesting, getting high in an alien casino sounds infinitely more worrisome. _

_ I really do enjoy these letters. I don't plan on learning this "cellphone" anytime soon, because I would be sad if these postcards stopped. _

_ I miss you too. _

_ With love, _

_ Daniel Sousa) _

But today, she actually gets to see him again. In person.

She doesn't think she's ever been more excited to meet with someone she's already met.

Kora rolls her eyes as they wait. She's noticed Daisy's impatient tapping and sneaking grin and the fire behind her eyes. "Great," she says, deadpan, "So, we're going from you spending hours a day to write those postcard things to spend that time making out with him instead."

Daisy's eyes widen and her mouth opens in protest. Her brows furrow together. "Wha — No — I — No!" Kora fixes her with a look involving a raised eyebrow and Daisy recedes a little. "He's more proper than that."

At that, Kora smirks. "But  _ you're _ not. You  _ want _ to."

"I'm not talking about this with my sister," Daisy mutters.

"He's got a great physique," Kora comments, "You should totally go for it."

"We are not talking about his physique!" Daisy just about yelps out.

"You're the one who sends him letters about penises."

"Those are private letters! Are you going through my things!"

"No, he told me. He writes to me too," Kora says simply, holding out a letter for proof.

Daisy gasps. "Give me that!"

She lunges at her sister, grabbing for the letter that she knows is about her, and they tumble against the bed and to the floor. Kora is quick to keep it at arm's reach, and they wrestle each other on the ground for a little bit.

Daisy can't help but think about how this feels like being a teenager. Being a normal teenager with a sister, teasing each other about boys.

And, just as she manages to pin Kora to the floor and snag the letter for herself, Daniel Sousa walks in.

He blinks at the situation the girls are in.

"Uh, sorry," he says slowly, "I knocked a few times and no one answered."

"Oh," Daisy starts simply. She quickly hides the letter behind her back. "Well, we were...sparring?"

"We were talking about your physique," Kora says. "And how Daisy definitely wants to do you."

"Do...me?"

"Yeah, actually, let's just, not," Daisy interrupts, just as Kora says, "It means sex."

"Kora!" Daisy yells as Daniel begins to turn a bit red. At first, she thinks it's embarrassment, but then she sees — no,  _ feels _ — how his body begins to shake and his chest rumbles as he bites his lip.

Daisy gasps. "Are you  _ laughing _ at this?"

He quickly coughs into his hand. "No," he says roughly.

"You were!" she replies, her feud with Kora suddenly forgotten. "You were laughing!"

He stops trying to hold it in then, and he laughs out loud, the dimples in his cheeks coming to life. It's contagious, and Daisy and Kora begin to laugh too, doubling over.

It's freeing.

When things start to calm down, Daniel has a sly smile playing on his lips. "For the record," he starts, "I'd like to 'do you' too."

Daisy blinks, her eyes darkening just the slightest bit. Kora rolls her eyes ever-so-slightly. "God, get a room, you two." She looks around. "Actually, this kind of is the room, so I'm just...gonna go. Have at it, kids."

Daisy and Daniel both splutter.

"I didn't mean right now!" Daniel protests.

  
  
  
  
  


**_377 days after death…_ **

  
  


They're in space for only a week before the glamour of space fades and the younger agents get bored.

Daniel, on the other hand, is still very much in awe of just about everything. He's up in the cockpit, admiring the outside universe, at just about every opportunity he can.

"Hey," Daisy greets as she joins him in the co-pilot seat.

He glances at her with a smile. "Hey."

"Just caught Carlson trying to get it on with my sister," she tells him with a hint of amusement in her voice, paired with disgust. "I swear, these kids are awful."

"One week? That's worse than you are," Daniel teases.

Daisy mock-gasps. "I'm not that bad! I lasted much longer!"

"Two weeks," he corrects.

"That's twice as long!" she defends. "Besides, you were the one who proclaimed you wanted to have sex. With my sister in the room."

"She was the one who brought it up!"

"That makes it worse!"

"You're the one who pinned me down the second she walked out."

"You — " Daisy starts, and then she stops and considers it. "Yeah, that's just about what happened."

"It  _ is _ what happened."

Daniel smiles softly and takes her hand in his. He presses a kiss to her knuckles before resting it in the space between them.

"I love you," he tells her sincerely.

She grips his hand tighter.

  
  
  
  
  


**_44 days after death…_ **

  
  


It didn't take them too long to admit they loved each other.

Honestly, the bigger surprise is how long it  _ did _ take them.

Daniel's been saying it since the beginning, essentially, in quiet and subtle ways. He says it into her hair, in a soft whisper, when he thinks she's asleep. He says it when he's nestled between her legs, against the skin of her thigh. He mouths it against her neck when he pulls her close, his arms coming around her in an appropriate embrace. He thinks it every moment he's with her, every second he spends by her side. But, he doesn't say it to her face, not out loud.

(But, he does drop the word around boldly. "With love," he'd end every letter. "That's what I love about you," he'd claim regularly, at just about any personality trait she had.)

And Daisy thinks it too. She's torn between keeping it close, because saying it out loud makes it so much more real, and wanting to proclaim it to the world, because the last time she hesitated, she never got to say it at all. Lincoln died never hearing those three words from her, when they were his last.

Unsurprisingly, Kora's the first one to say it loud and clear. Over and over.

("I mean, that's what people in love do," she'd say.

"Daniel must love you a lot," she'd claim.

"It's nice seeing my sister happy in love," she'd tell him.)

And then one day, Kora kind of forced it out. "I mean, you love Daisy, right?" she says, unconcerned about the giant ticking bomb she potentially just laid out. Daisy's eyes widen, looking over to Daniel.

He looks at her, his eyes piercing into hers, unblinking. "Yeah," he replies confidently, his eyes not leaving hers, "I do."

Kora waves her hand, thinking of it as a rhetorical question, oblivious to the true implications of his words. She goes on about some comparison to some romcom movie, but neither Daisy nor Daniel pay any attention to her. Their stares are unwavering, expressions softening and smiles forming.

"Kora, can you give us a minute?" Daisy interrupts her vent, uncaring.

Kora pauses, finally noticing the tension that's charging the room. She sighs dramatically. "So glad we're back to having separate rooms," she says as she exits.

The couple lunge at each other the second she closes the door.

-

Later, when they're wrapped around each other in bliss, coming down from their highs, Daniel's eyes find hers and he holds her head delicately. "I meant it," he says. "I love you."

She presses her lips to his desperately, pouring her love and affection into him. When she pulls away, breathless, she whispers, "I love you too."

  
  
  
  
  


**_378 days after death…_ **

  
  


The crew suddenly becomes a lot less bored when Captain Marvel shows up in a flash, grabbing onto the spaceship and speeding them to the nearest habitable planet.

_ Thank god, _ is all Daisy can think as she catches Kora straightening her shirt on her way to see what the commotion was.

She's sure to narrow her eyes menacingly at Agent Carlson, who seems to cower in her presence.

  
  
  
  
  


**_217 days after death..._ **

  
  


The first time she meets Carol, she's sitting outside of some little cafe. Coulson put them in contact because naturally, Coulson just happens to know this intergalactic superhero. Just like any of his other friends.

Just a day in the life.

Daisy sips on her coffee gingerly as she waits, tapping her fingers against the table. She can't deny she's a little nervous. She's seen the footage of Captain Marvel in action, and she feels like amateur hour in comparison.

She notices Carol immediately.

For a superhero, she isn't necessarily the best spy. She's got the basics down — she's got a baseball cap and some sunglasses — but she's trying entirely too hard. Carol's looking at everyone suspiciously, bowing her head down and bringing attention to herself. The general public probably doesn't think much of her except maybe that she's weird, but it immediately brings Daisy's attention to her.

Good thing this isn't actually spy-work.

Daisy feels the tiniest bit better, knowing that the all-powerful Captain Marvel isn't absolutely perfect.

Carol approaches her quickly, narrowing her sunglasses as she peers down. "Daisy?"

"The one and only," Daisy replies. Carol sits down in the empty chair.

"So, you're the earthquake girl," she comments. Daisy raises her eyebrows and Carol shrugs. "I've heard about you."

"Well, it isn't all good," Daisy says with a frown. She fiddles with some sugar packets uncomfortably. "I try to stay out of the media; half the world still thinks I'm a terrorist."

"Half the universe," Carol corrects. "Quake has quite the reputation up in space."

"They had to understand my power," she defends quickly. "Terrans are seen as weak."

At that, Carol gives a genuine smirk. "Oh, I'm not judging. I gotta say, half the universe hates me too. But they respect me, and I'm pretty sure they respect you too."

Daisy blinks. She gives a small smile. "So, you think it's a good idea?"

"Even if it weren't," Carol starts, "I'd help you anyway. The universe is in such an uproar right now and Terra has way more help than the average planet. The galaxies need you."

Daisy's never been more eager to answer the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT!!!
> 
> Before I say anything else, I'm just going to say that I promise that I am still updating this fic, slowly but surely.
> 
> The thing is, there are so many post-finale fics that are just...so much better than this one. I've been trying to stay away from most of them because I want mine to stay original and not be influenced by other fics, but the ones I have read are phenomenal and I feel like I can't really top it. But I'm trying. This is the only fic I started writing without a full plot in mind and it's been a lot harder than I thought.
> 
> I also got highly distracted with another fic I started writing. I feel a lot more confident in writing it, because it's a more unique idea that I don't feel like I have to live up to other fics or keep from unconsciously copying them. I've been forming the plot for weeks now. [I suggest you check it out!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26360473/) I'm kind of really proud of it.
> 
> Power Over Me has got my full attention right now (I'll be updating every few days), but once that's done, I promise I will come back to this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> So, what did you think? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!


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